The Impact of Entrepreneurship Education on Entrepreneurial Attitudes and Intention: Hysteresis and Persistence

Fostering the future: Agripreneurship intentions among Indian agricultural students

India is an agrarian country, but the contribution of agriculture to GDP was reduced gradually. It was due to the decline of land resources, climate change, and low profitability. To overcome these problems, agripreneurship can offer a viable solution and foster innovation and economic viability which is easily adopted by the younger generation. So, this study focuses on the agricultural college students who have more scope to start an agribusiness. It explores attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, agripreneurship education, personality traits, and their relationship with agripreneurship intention among 210 agriculture students in India, the study employed a descriptive research design, with data collected through an online survey. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were utilized to reach the target population. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS, employing t-test, ANOVA, correlation, and multiple linear regression to examine the relationships and differences among variables. and the theory of planned behaviour was used to explain the complex relationship between the variables. The results showed that attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and personality traits substantially predict agripreneurship intention, and formal agripreneurship education appears to have minimal influence on outcomes. Gender, landholding, major family occupation, nativity, course of study, and family background do not substantially impact agribusiness plans. The study offers insights for educational institutions, governments, and other stakeholders interested in promoting agripreneurship and driving innovation in agriculture in India. These findings emphasise the need for a comprehensive strategy to foster agribusiness goals that cross traditional boundaries and contexts.

Entrepreneurship education and self-efficacy among Chinese college students mediated by harmonious passion and moderated by parental psychological control

Despite the rapid development of entrepreneurship education among college students, limited research has examined the hindering role of Chinese parents in this process under the socio-cultural context of China. To address this gap, a quantitative study was conducted to investigate how entrepreneurship education enhances college students' entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and the impact of Chinese parental psychological control (PPC). Data were collected from 1,411 college students using structured questionnaires and analyzed using hierarchical regression. Findings revealed that entrepreneurship education significantly boosts college students' ESE, mediated by harmonious passion. Besides, PPC exerted a negative moderating effect, weakening the positive impact of entrepreneurship education on students' ESE. This study enriches the understanding of the mechanisms underlying effective entrepreneurship education. It also offers practical implications for entrepreneurship education and training, business educators, and parenting practices in China.

The effects of entrepreneurial narrative on entrepreneurial intention: An affective events perspective

Entrepreneurial narrative has been used in the entrepreneurship education process to develop students' entrepreneurial intention. However, previous research has less knowledge about the mechanisms between entrepreneurial narrative and entrepreneurial intention from an affective events perspective. We explore the effect of entrepreneurial narrative on entrepreneurial intention based on the theory of affective events theory. The sample of this study comprised 348 individuals who participated in entrepreneurship education in China. The results suggest that entrepreneurial narrative have a significant positive impact on college students' entrepreneurial intention. Additionally, the relationship between entrepreneurial narrative and entrepreneurial intention is mediated by entrepreneurial passion, and entrepreneurial support positively moderates the relationship between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial intention.

Descriptive norms and entrepreneurial intentions: the mediating role of anticipated inaction regret

Previous research has mainly focused on the cognitive-based theory of planned behavior (TPB) model to predict entrepreneurial intentions. However, given the close relationship between cognition and emotion, researchers may need to pay more attention to how emotional reactions help predict entrepreneurial intentions. To fill this gap, we apply both cognitive (i.e., descriptive norms) and emotional (i.e., anticipated inaction regret) aspects to understand predictors of entrepreneurial intentions. Specifically, we employ the affect-as-information perspective as a complementary theoretical lens to TPB to test whether the role of descriptive norms on entrepreneurial intentions is affected by anticipated inaction regret as a form of emotional reaction to descriptive social norms. We conducted two survey-based studies with diverse samples (i.e., online Mturk panels of adults in the US and undergraduate students in Korea). This study demonstrates (1) a positive and significant relationship between descriptive norms and entrepreneurial intentions and (2) a mediating role of anticipated inaction regret between descriptive norms and entrepreneurial intentions. Our results contribute to the entrepreneurial intentions literature by exploring the mechanism between cognition and emotion, and highlighting an indirect emotional link (i.e., anticipated inaction regret) in understanding entrepreneurial intentions.

The association of socio-demographic characteristics of university students and the levels of their digital entrepreneurial competences

The aim of this article is to provide empirical evidence on the level of digital entrepreneurial competences (DEC) that higher education students acquire during their higher education and to investigate the relationship between their socio-demographic characteristics and the level of DEC. The first competence area (Identification of opportunities) of the DEC EmDigital competence framework was assessed together with its three sub-competence areas (Search for and analysis of information, Creativity and innovation, and Prospecting), and the relationship between the level of DEC and various socio-demographic characteristics of higher education students was investigated using logistic regression. The results show a relatively low DEC level of the participating students for the first EmDigital competence area. Location, field of study, level of study and employment status were found to be statistically significant for the acquisition of DEC, while the variables age and gender had little impact. The results of this study are a step towards the development of an DEC online assessment tool (using the Digital Competence Wheel as a role model) that universities and other stakeholders could use to assess the level of DEC their students acquire during university education. This research is the first study to assess the acquisition of DEC during university studies and the impact of different socio-demographic characteristics of students on their level of DEC.

The effect of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial intention of different college students: Gender, household registration, school type, and poverty status

Entrepreneurship education (EE) is a crucial link to promoting college students' entrepreneurship, which reduces unemployment, economic development, and poverty. Based on a sample of Chinese college students, this study uses a logistic model to investigate the effect of EE on entrepreneurial intention (EI). It focuses on evaluating the impact of EE on the EI of different groups of college students from the perspectives of gender, household registration, school type, and poverty status. Benchmark regression results show that EE has a significant positive impact on the EI of students. The heterogeneity analysis has the following findings. First, EE has a more significant impact on women's EI, which can reduce the entrepreneurial gap between women and men. Second, EE is more effective in improving the EI of urban students, which will further widen the gap between urban and rural students in entrepreneurship. Third, EE has increased the EI of students from private universities, which represent application-oriented universities. This shows that public universities, which represent research-oriented universities, need to increase the training of talent in practical applications to narrow the gap with private universities in entrepreneurship. Fourth, after receiving EE, the EI of nonpoor students improved more than that of poor students. Equal EE increases the gap between poor and nonpoor students, which can easily lead to an intergenerational cycle of poverty in entrepreneurship. This study provides empirical evidence from college students' entrepreneurship in relatively underdeveloped western China, which supports the development of EE and entrepreneurial activities.

Business Intentions of Australian Veterinary Students—My Business or Yours? A Cluster Analysis

Little is known about veterinary entrepreneurial predisposition. Yet entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship (entrepreneurial behaviour of employees) foster business innovation and growth and support wealth creation and employment in both privately and corporately owned businesses which deliver contemporary veterinary services. We used responses from 515 final-year students in Australian entrepreneurship, nursing, and veterinary programs to capture entrepreneurial intention (EI), outcome expectations (OE-sb), entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), and corporate/large organisation work intentions (CWIs). Veterinary respondents stood out for their high EI and high OE-sb, but low financial ESE and low CWI. Proportions of veterinary, entrepreneurship, and nursing respondents differed markedly across distinct cluster profiles representing entrepreneurial, intrapreneurial, both entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial, indifferent, and corporate employment intentions and attributes. Post hoc analysis revealed proportional cluster membership differences for respondents from different veterinary schools. Our findings raise questions regarding (1) the effectiveness of veterinary business curricula competencies which focus on expense management and (2) the implications of the mismatch of motivations and goals of new veterinary sector entrants whose low intent to work in a corporate environment is at odds with increasing corporate ownership of veterinary practices. To inform curricular change, we recommend further research to evaluate the relative impact of individual factors, admissions factors, and the formal or hidden curricula on entrepreneurial intention in veterinary final-year students.

Who wants to be an entrepreneur in the Balkans? From perceptions and beliefs to intentions

Purpose

This paper uses the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) among students from different South-East (SE) European countries, considering various personal and situational variables. The authors examine how the regional cultural context affects individual perceptions and beliefs about entrepreneurship, which in turn form the basis of the cognitive antecedents of the TPB model.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 850 respondents, the authors estimate a two-level model, addressing the issue of endogeneity in the relationship between attitudes and beliefs and the respondents' EI. Specifically, the authors focus on heterogeneity across nations in attitudes toward entrepreneurial behavior (ATEB), subjective norms (SN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC).

Findings

The results show that the perceived behavioral control and the attitude toward entrepreneurial behavior are the main determinants of Balkan students' EI. The authors find that the role of SE European culture in entrepreneurship intentions does not follow the Western pattern. In this particular regional environment dominated by collectivist culture, students' EIs are influenced more by cooperation, caring for others and other non-monetary benefits.

Research limitations/implications

Like any study, this study has limitations. First, all the variables were measured using a single questionnaire. Although common method bias was shown not to be an issue, in future research different variables should be measured with different methods. For instance, using the items by Liñán and Chen (2009) which were developed in the United States of America, to measure SE European students' entrepreneurial perceived behavioral control might ignore some requisite resources or abilities typical for SE European students, such as personal relational network (similar to the notion of guanxi in China (see, e.g. Hwang et al., 2009). Second, Busenitz et al. (2000) indicate that cross-national differences in entrepreneurship are best explained by a broader set of institutions, i.e. educational and governmental support agencies. In general, the empirical evidence on the relationship between national culture and entrepreneurial behavior is mixed and this is generally agreed that an important issue that needs to be considered is the interactions between cultural values, social institutions, industry characteristics and outcomes such as entrepreneurship (Hayton et al., 2002). In the future, similar studies could include respondents with a larger dispersion of prior education, age, and human, social and financial capital.

Practical implications

The existence of support received in the family environment and the lack of individualistic and competitive aspirations create a more favorable environment for a young person to become entrepreneur. This must be taken seriously into account by educators and policy makers aiming at encouraging entrepreneurship, because in the societies studied here the motivation of prospective entrepreneurs depends on totally different drivers than those usually encountered in the Western world. Furthermore, from a gender perspective, the authors' study suggests that in societies with stronger family ties and more gender discrimination, an individual's closer social environment may not create the appropriate context for women to decide to become entrepreneurs.

Social implications

A strong hierarchical culture in a society goes against the intention of becoming an entrepreneur. That is, when people accept that social mobility is low and, thus, reversing people's relative positions in the society is unlikely, people are less prone to becoming entrepreneurs. In Western societies, where collectivism is low, the contrary holds. In the societies considered here, where family and social links are strong, entrepreneurship is considered to be a rather safer option, which is encouraged by non-individualistic values and is negatively associated with aggressive competitiveness. In those societies, formal institutions such as the government and the educational sector could play an important role to support prospective female entrepreneurs (Borges et al., 2021).

Originality/value

The motivation of prospective entrepreneurs in SE European countries depends on totally different drivers than those usually encountered in the Western world.

A scientometric analysis on entrepreneurial intention literature: Delving deeper into local citation

The present study provides a summarised view of entrepreneurial intention (EI) research to date. Before the application of scientometric techniques over the 1920 papers retrieved from Scopus, this paper collects the main systematic reviews and pioneering bibliometric analyses, and summarises their major findings. The use of direct citation, differentiating between Local and Global Citation, has not been used in the area of EI research. However, it provides the current status quo of this field of research, as well as interesting results on the progress of the study of this research topic, revealing previously overlooked findings. The application of scientometric tools allows us to identify the four thematic poles that concentrate the greatest effort of researchers in this area: modelling EI and discussing its antecedents and relationships; self-efficacy as an antecedent of EI; social entrepreneurial intention; and the effect of education on EI -distinguishing the effect of educational context from the effect of personal factors on EI-. It also uncovers the inspirational role of this area of research on others, while revealing the most highly specialised journals in EI, the papers that play a foundational role in the field, and the authors with the most extensive careers in this topic. This research also assesses progress on the most important challenges facing the field and raises some unanswered questions.

From entrepreneurship education to entrepreneurial intention: Mindset, motivation, and prior exposure

We studied the relationships between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention among college students, with a focus on the mediating role of an entrepreneurial mindset as well as the moderating roles of learning motivation and prior entrepreneurial exposure. More than 90,000 students from 100 colleges or universities participated in the investigation, the data were subjected to structural equation modeling with Mplus. The results indicated that entrepreneurship education (curriculum attendance and extracurricular activity) significantly enhanced the entrepreneurial mindset of students, which, in turn, strengthened their entrepreneurial intention. In terms of learning, intrinsic motivation positively moderated the relationships between curriculum attendance and entrepreneurial intention/mindset, whereas extrinsic motivation moderated it negatively. Entrepreneurial exposure positively moderated the correlation between extracurricular activity and academic performance. Implications concerning the adjustment of entrepreneurship education to the entrepreneurial climate are discussed.

Productive interactions in digital training partnerships: Lessons learned for regional development and university societal impact assessment

In development, social, and management theories, universities have gained increasing relevance as engines of growth and innovation. Alongside companies, universities engage in a collaborative exploration for a shared knowledge base that does not pursue immediate exploitation. Drawing on research evaluation and the regional and entrepreneurial studies on University-Industry Collaborations (UICs) and knowledge ecosystems, this article assesses the digital training partnerships the University of Naples in Italy has established with some global technology and advanced manufacturing companies. By examining their innovative performance, the case study evaluation explores university-business 'productive interactions,' highlighting such critical issues as the management and risks of co-innovation, the attraction of talents, and the development of human capital in a peripheral and moderate innovative region. The article critically discusses the regional development outcomes and the evaluation designs to assess the societal impact of university research and education.

A bibliometric analysis of college students' entrepreneurial intention from 2000 to 2020: Research trends and hotspots

Based on 454 articles related to college students' entrepreneurial intention in the Web of Science Core Collection, this study explores the hotspots and trends of international research on college students' entrepreneurial intention by using a combination of coding and bibliometric analysis. The research hotspots are as follows: the theory of planned behavior is the main theoretical basis of these studies; entrepreneurship education is a more important predictor of college students' entrepreneurial intention, and this relationship is regulated by multiple variables; personal traits, several types of capital theories, social entrepreneurial intention, and quantitative research methods are also common. The research fronts include the following: systematic review of the field, continuous attention to the theory of planned behavior, and in-depth exploration of the differentiated influence of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention. Finally, we proposed research thinking and prospects related to research on undergraduates' entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurship education.

Integrating medicine, engineering and business to educate early-stage researchers in cardiovascular device development

Device development is a burgeoning, innovative industry, yet early stage scientists have little knowledge of venture creation and the steps required to develop a device, likely contributing to the high failure rate of device technology. At present, there is no national program that provides specialty education for biomedical product development. In response to this critical problem, the Translational Pathways for Cardiovascular Devices course was developed with the goal of integrating medicine, engineering, and business education to targeted multidisciplinary early stage researchers. Pilot data show there was a greater than 300% increase in cardiac device translational practices competency; 67% of respondents indicated they planned to develop a cardiac device. The data highlight the need to develop a device development educational core to further enhance national, international and multidisciplinary innovation and collaboration in the biomedical device domain.

Relationship between Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Intention among College Students: A Meta-Analysis

Meta-analysis was used to investigate the impact of entrepreneurship education on college students' entrepreneurial intention. Based on the rules of meta-analysis, 389 empirical studies were selected from more than 1000 entrepreneurship education-related documents. The current study processed and analyzed data from 36 records (including 24 journal articles, 11 master's theses, and 1 doctoral thesis) with a total sample of 29,736 students. The results suggested that: (1) entrepreneurship education is positively associated with entrepreneurial intention; (2) national context differences among students have a significant and moderating effect on the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention. As compared to other countries, Chinese college students' entrepreneurial intention is more strongly related with entrepreneurship education.

Impact of entrepreneurial curriculum on entrepreneurial competencies among students: The mediating role of the campus learning environment in higher education

This study explored the direct and indirect influences of the entrepreneurial curriculum on entrepreneurial competencies, using the campus learning environment as a mediator. In this study, a survey questionnaire composed of 48 items was used to collect data on the entrepreneurial curriculum, entrepreneurial competencies, and campus learning environment from pre-service vocational teachers enrolled in six universities located in Hunan Province, China. The entrepreneurial curriculum has four components, namely, curriculum content, curriculum material, teaching strategies, and feedback and assessment. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used through SmartPLS 3.3.3 to measure the effects. The curriculum content has a direct, significant, and positive influence on entrepreneurial competencies. For the indirect influence, all four dimensions of the entrepreneurial curriculum influenced the campus learning environment, which, in turn, was positively associated with entrepreneurial competencies. The campus learning environment was therefore revealed to play a mediating role between the entrepreneurial curriculum and entrepreneurial competencies. The study explored that effective entrepreneurial curriculum delivery and campus learning environment are helpful for developing entrepreneurial competencies among the pre-service vocational teachers. Universities should take initiatives to update the entrepreneurial curriculum and create a conducive campus learning environment that brings a positive change to develop entrepreneurial competencies among their students. Moreover, practical implications and future research directions are also discussed in this article.

Putting Entrepreneurial Process Competence into the Focus in Entrepreneurship Education: Experience from Estonian Universities

Although entrepreneurship at the university level has constantly been evolving, little research has been done on what competencies should be developed in entrepreneurship education (EE) and how EE relates to the core of entrepreneurship—the entrepreneurial process competence. This article seeks to develop and empirically measure the entrepreneurial process competence in the context of EE. A self-assessment questionnaire based on the ‘generic’ entrepreneurship competence model, improved with the section on entrepreneurial process competence, was used to assess the impact of EE intervention in major Estonian universities. The survey took place in two stages: the same questions were repeated at the beginning and end of the course in the 2019 autumn semester. It gave the responses of 355 students and showed the varied and small positive individual-level impact of entrepreneurship courses on minor aspects of ‘generic’ competences in different universities, depending on training methodology, study volume and contact hours. At the same time, all the competencies of the entrepreneurial process grew significantly. Readiness to start own business did not change. The article recommends focusing on entrepreneurial process competencies and their acquisition for development and metrics of entrepreneurship learning progression.

Characteristics and Effects of Entrepreneurship Education Programs: a Systematic Review

In recent decades, due to the unprecedented enthusiasm for processes related to teaching entrepreneurship, the subject of “entrepreneurship education” has been widely investigated. Several entrepreneurship education programs have been developed and tested under the hypothesis that it is possible to teach entrepreneurship and that such training is effective to develop both entrepreneurs and their ventures. Several studies, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses, have sought to understand the relationship between the interventions proposed in entrepreneurship education programs and their potential outcomes, such as the acquisition of different behavioral repertoires and business growth. In contrast, the content developed in different programs has not received attention. The aim of this systematic review is to describe aspects related to the interventions proposed in entrepreneurship education programs; specifically, this review aimed at determining what the interventions intended to develop, the characteristics of pedagogical strategies employed in these interventions, and the types of outcomes of such interventions. The results of the review showed that some important aspects, such as personalized learning in some stages of the interventions, the target audience, the formal preparation of mentors, and the development of specific content for achieving intended goals, need better consideration for the improvement of entrepreneurship education programs.

Untying Moral Efficacy and Meaningfulness in Promoting Students' Social Entrepreneurial Intentions: The Mediating Role of Positive Reciprocity

This study chooses to describe social entrepreneurship as a social mission that enables business students to identify opportunities to launch start-ups and social enterprises by understanding the nature of social responsibility and fostering a reciprocal attitude to solve social issues. We collected data on students from different business schools in mainland China through a structured questionnaire (n = 326) and analyzed them through structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that moral efficacy and meaningfulness are positively related to positive reciprocity, which leads to students' social entrepreneurial intentions. The study concluded that potential social entrepreneurs should take ethical courses as part of their training to help them develop a responsible mentality and social entrepreneurial aspirations. On this basis, the practical and theoretical significance of this study is proposed, and its limitations and future development directions are pointed out.

Entrepreneurial Intention of Chinese Students Studying at Universities in the Community of Madrid

Entrepreneurial intention is one of the most representative indicators of entrepreneurship action. The Chinese community has an increasing presence in the community of Madrid both in the educational field and in the business field. This paper studies the relationship between different socioeconomic and cultural variables and the entrepreneurial intention of Chinese students studying at universities in the community of Madrid. As a methodology, an analysis based on the application of structural equation modeling (SEM) has been chosen, since it is an exploratory analysis where this type of data has not been previously identified. The results show that subjective norms, the perception of control, and the motives of entrepreneurship have a positive and significant relationship with entrepreneurial intention. In contrast, the attitude toward entrepreneurship, gender, previous work experiences, and the existence of entrepreneurial parents do not have a significant relationship with entrepreneurial intention.

Entrepreneurship or Employment? A Survey of College Students’ Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the global job market, with increasing unemployment rates leading to an unstable social situation that has affected college students’ job prospects. This situation has drawn the attention of the Chinese government and universities to the promotion of entrepreneurship. The present study used field theory to analyze the entrepreneurial intentions of 4926 college students in Hangzhou, an emerging global digital city. It was found that college students who had received entrepreneurship education were more likely to insist on entrepreneurship, while the native environmental field had a significant positive effect on students’ sustainable entrepreneurial intention (SEI). These findings provide a good reference for universities to promote entrepreneurial intentions among college students and provide advice on the construction of entrepreneurship education fields.

Drivers of Green Entrepreneurial Intention: Why Does Sustainability Awareness Matter Among University Students?

Entrepreneurship is an essential aspect of economic growth because of its contribution to people’s welfare through employment opportunities. Universities offer compulsory entrepreneurship subjects for students with the support of government policies. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the factors that influence the students’ intentions to become green entrepreneurs using contextual aspects as moderators. The applied theoretical model was the planned behavior (TPB) that adds cultural values and cognitive knowledge. The sample included 305 students from 10 private universities in Jakarta. The results showed that green entrepreneurial intentions are affected by perceived behavioral control (PBC), cultural values, cognition knowledge, and contextual factors. However, they lack a significant effect on attitudes toward behavior and subjective norms. Second, the contextual factors can moderate the relationship between variables and significantly affect green entrepreneurial intentions. Third, they moderate attitudes toward behavior and cognitive knowledge with green entrepreneurial intentions. Contrastingly, other factors had no effect when contextual factors moderated the relationship.

The effect of mobile business simulation games in entrepreneurship education: a quasi-experiment

Purpose

During the current global epidemic, e-learning and mobile learning have been rapidly developed in the field of entrepreneurship education. The effect of these learning methods remains to be confirmed. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of mobile business simulation games in entrepreneurship education.

Design/methodology/approach

From May 2020 to July 2020, the authors adopted a quasi-experimental design to explore the effect of mobile business simulation games in entrepreneurship education. The authors set up an experimental group to participate in mobile business simulation games, with a total of 105 students, and set up a control group of 100 students. At the beginning and end of the experiment, data on entrepreneurial attitude, self-efficacy, entrepreneurial intention and other related variables were collected. Paired sample T-test and regression analysis were used to analyze the results.

Findings

The authors found that mobile business simulation games can improve entrepreneurial attitudes and self-efficacy, but cannot change entrepreneurial intentions. The paired sample T-test in the experimental group showed that the entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial self-efficacy of the participants were significantly improved, but the entrepreneurial intention did not change significantly. The above three variables did not change significantly in the control group. The research results also show that flow experience is very important in mobile business simulation games, which can improve entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial self-efficacy.

Originality/value

The authors’ findings confirm the positive effects of mobile business simulation games in entrepreneurship education, which can improve entrepreneurial attitudes and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. But the disadvantage of mobile business simulation games is that they cannot increase entrepreneurial intention. In addition, the flow experience needs to be valued in mobile business simulation games. The research in this paper has implications for how mobile learning can be used in entrepreneurship education during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, research is of great value on how mobile business simulation games can be improved.

“Food chemistry”: High-stakes experiential entrepreneurship education in a pop-up restaurant project

In response to ongoing philosophical and pedagogical debates in university-based entrepreneurship education (EE) research, this study offers a cross-disciplinary perspective of how hospitality management students experience a high-stakes, experiential entrepreneurship project. We present vignettes of dialogues, experiences, and interactions among “student-manager” members of a small group engaged in developing and implementing a real-world, fine dining pop-up restaurant. By triangulating our analysis of classroom observation data, social network maps, and student artifacts, we chronicle four vignettes of how students experience learning during ideation, design, launch, and evaluation modules. Theory–practice gaps, coping humor in load–overload states, and complex affective–cognitive interactions emerge as salient elements of high-stakes experiential EE. We discuss implications for learners and educators and put forward recommendations to inform and improve the design of cross-disciplinary models of experiential EE.

Predicting the Entrepreneurial Behaviour of Starting Up a New Company: A Regional Study Using PLS-SEM and Data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor

It is essential to understand the variables that explain and predict the behaviour of starting up a new company in a regional context. This study aims to analyse the theoretical basis and predictive potential of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data, considering the concerns and suggestions of other authors. In addition to an extensive literature review, a PLS-SEM methodology and data on variables and countries from the latest GEM report are used in this study. The results show that GEM reports have a sufficient theoretical foundation for quality studies in this field. In addition, a valid and reliable causal model is designed that includes all personal and contextual GEM variables. The hypotheses of the proposed model are based on the existing causal relationships in the literature, using GEM data in its formulation. The model is comprehensive and practical because it significantly predicts entrepreneurial behaviour, particularly entrepreneurial intention and action. The usefulness of this study is high, both for researchers, practitioners and institutions wishing to understand better and further promote entrepreneurial behaviour at a regional (country) level.

Moderated Mediating Mechanism Effects of Chinese University Entrepreneurship Education on Independent Student Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship education plays a mediating moderating role in independent entrepreneurship, especially for the fresh graduates where entrepreneurial knowledge charms. Based on the mediating effect model, this study explores the correlation between three factors and independent entrepreneurship. A set of hypotheses was established by investigating the theoretical background within the field of interest. Such hypotheses were later assessed by an online-offline mix study conducted among graduates. The result found that entrepreneurship theory-based courses can promote independent entrepreneurship, but entrepreneurship practice training surprisingly failed to promote. Entrepreneurial opportunity identification mediated only between theory-based courses and independent entrepreneurship. The findings found could be highly beneficial in organizing entrepreneurship syllabus, scientifically arranging a theory-based course, and practicing a training course. Moreover, it could be further developed into a pedagogical model.

Can entrepreneurial knowledge boost the entrepreneurial intent of French students? The mediation role of behavioral antecedents

Purpose

Entrepreneurial knowledge occupies a significant place in policy discourse and practice, especially in developed economies. This study aims to examine the effect of entrepreneurial knowledge on the components of entrepreneurial intent of undergraduate students. The authors seek to decipher a deeper understanding of their orientation for engaging in new ventures. In addition, we analyze the mediating role of behavioral antecedents between entrepreneurial knowledge and entrepreneurial intent.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected the primary data of 400 undergraduate students from French universities and used structural equation modeling through Smart PLS software for testing several pertinent hypotheses.

Findings

The study’s results revealed that entrepreneurial knowledge negatively affects students’ attitudes in choosing entrepreneurship in favor of a corporate job. In addition, entrepreneurial knowledge does not affect the social norms and self-efficacy that shape entrepreneurial intent. Interestingly, our study also revealed no mediating role between entrepreneurial knowledge and students’ self-efficacy.

Originality/value

The findings of this study will contribute to the academic discourse on the role of entrepreneurial knowledge and its potential effect in promoting entrepreneurship. Furthermore, this study has policy implications and solicits developing entrepreneurship programs to enhance entrepreneurial intent among young people.

A Learning-by-Doing Approach to Entrepreneurship Education: Evidence from a Short Intensive Online International Program

Entrepreneurship is considered a key driver for economic growth. Therefore, more and more studies are investigating the role and effectiveness of entrepreneurship education. In this context, the present study is aimed at investigating the effectiveness of entrepreneurship programs, with a learning-by-doing approach, on the entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurial characteristics (entrepreneurial attitude, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, entrepreneurial mindset, core self-evaluation) and entrepreneurial skills (creativity, financial literacy, marshaling of resources, planning, teamwork). The study has analyzed a short intensive online entrepreneurship program, which adopts a learning-by-doing approach and targets students from different European technical universities, with different levels of education and different entrepreneurial backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to work on different types of projects. Pre- and post-course surveys were conducted in order to perform qualitative analyses on the effectiveness of the program. The results show that the entrepreneurial intention and perception of the entrepreneurial characteristics and skills of the students increased after participation in the program. In addition, our findings reveal that the program appears to be more effective for MSc students than for PhD ones and for students who had never attended any entrepreneurship program before, while there is no difference in the effectiveness of the program in terms of gender.

Knowledge management to foster the entrepreneurship activity: case for Saudi Arabia

It is becoming a topic of increasing significance on a global scale to encourage students in educational institutions of higher learning to behave in an entrepreneurial manner. It is especially true in the countries that make up the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region, where there is a greater pressing need to cultivate and develop college students into business owners who can financially support themselves through their own businesses. Since only several studies considered the impact of education on aspiring business owners in fast-developing countries like Saudi Arabia, this study helps fill a gap in the existing body of academic research. The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the impact that participation in educational programs about entrepreneurship has on the possibility that college students will be engaged in entrepreneurial activities in the future. It is significant to give education’s central role in cultivating and encouraging entrepreneurship. This investigation utilized the theory of planned behaviour as its primary framework. A convenience sample was used to collect responses to a questionnaire that was administered online. The recruitment process resulted in the participation of a total of 250 individuals who had previously attended institutions in Saudi Arabia and engaged in entrepreneurship education. The findings indicated that an individual’s attitude toward entrepreneurship and their assessment of their level of behavioural control (perceived entrepreneurship abilities) significantly impact an individual’s intention to participate in entrepreneurial activity. On the other hand, subjective norms do not significantly impact the intention to engage in entrepreneurial activity. The most noteworthy finding is that the extent to which students aspire to launch their own businesses is significantly influenced by entrepreneurship education. An explanation of the study’s limitations and some suggestions for more research were presented and discussed further. The study is limited to participation in entrepreneurship education. However, additional research investigating both the quality and quantity of education is also advised.

The Effects of Institution-Driven Entrepreneurial Education in Chinese Universities: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis Approach

Purpose: This study aims to explore the effects of entrepreneurship education by examining the influences of the curriculum system, teaching team, design of practical programs, and the institutional systems on universities' entrepreneurial education performance. Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper employs a case-based approach-Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). Data were collected from 12 universities that were typical cases in the implementation of entrepreneurial education. The four dimensions of entrepreneurship education are applied as conditional indicators. fsQCA3.0 software is used to analyze the necessary conditions and condition combination of the truth table. Findings: There are three sets of condition combinations of the intermediate solution that results in a high level of entrepreneurial education performance: (1) when the credit ratio of entrepreneurship courses is higher and there are more practical platform platforms, even if the entrepreneurship education system and mechanism is less mature, the level of entrepreneurial education performance is high; (2) with a higher credit ratio of entrepreneurship courses, higher quality of teaching teams, and higher standard of practical platforms, the level of entrepreneurial education performance is high; (3) with a higher level of credit ratio of entrepreneurship courses and more practical platforms, as well as mature entrepreneurship education system and mechanism, even if the quality of the teaching team is lower, the level of entrepreneurial education performance is satisfied. Research Limitations/Implications: The dimensions of entrepreneurship education can be expanded; additionally, given that there are many other factors affecting entrepreneurial performance, it is necessary to identify and integrate other possible factors on an ongoing basis. Practical Implications: This study offers practical implications for universities and policy makers that can promote the transformation of theoretical knowledge into practice in the field of entrepreneurship in colleges and universities. Social Implications: This study is one of the first to empirically examine the effect of institutional-driven entrepreneurship education in developing countries. The enhancement of entrepreneurship education can benefit the development of individuals and schools, and even has a potential impact on the progress of the country and society as a whole. Originality/Value: This study emphasizes the significance of viewing the entrepreneurial education as a multi-dimensional concept by targeting different kinds of players. Furthermore, it employs a case-based approach to identify configurations of the antecedent attributes of the curriculum system, teaching team, design of practical programs, and the institutional systems, and their influence on universities' entrepreneurial education performance.

Endorsing Sustainable Enterprises Among Promising Entrepreneurs: A Comparative Study of Factor-Driven Economy and Efficiency-Driven Economy

Understanding business trails among promising aspirants may contribute to an actual motive for diminishing ecological tracks and escort to developing devotion toward deciding intentions across various entrepreneurial types and tiers solely from the sustainability domains. Therefore, this study endeavors to comprehend and seek to employ the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to inspect the relationship between antecedents on sustainable enterprise intention and sustainable value creation. In this study, we used the convenience sampling method and the quantitative data of 1,070 respondents from Pakistan and China and applied a SmartPLS structural equation model and partial least square path modeling by mediational and multigroup analyses. Findings divulge that R² (79.8%) value in the Pakistan sample of attitudes to sustainability, perceived entrepreneurial desirability (PED), and perceived entrepreneurial feasibility (PEF) was comparatively higher than in China. The R² (75.6%) variance value on sustainable entrepreneurial intentions (SEI) was recorded higher in the Pakistani sample. However, the relationship of environmental values, self-efficacy, and extrinsic and intrinsic rewards show positive and significant mediational effects on both the economies of SEI. The findings disclosed an inconsistent character of extrinsic rewards, general self-efficacy, and job security depict negative significant impacts of aspirations on sustainable entrepreneurship (SE) among promising entrepreneurs on sustainability enterprises in both Pakistan and China. This study extends on existing entrepreneurship literature. Results supported the designed hypothesis and played a significant role in shedding light on an individual trait underpinning a career in a sustainable business start-up. The study looks at the issue from the viewpoint of sustainability domains. It seeks to determine the individual PED, PEF, and attitude toward sustainable entrepreneurship (ATSE) as the mediational variables. The study highlights the importance of work values in pursuing sustainability-oriented entrepreneurship programs for promising aspirants to improve their entrepreneurial skills and knowledge podium, which will encourage them to become sustainable future entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the study provides understandings for ratifying sustainable openings and debates the potential paths for sustainable business growth and opportunities among nascent entrepreneurs in both economies.

The Influence of Entrepreneurial Education and Psychological Capital on Entrepreneurial Behavior Among College Students

This research investigated the influence of entrepreneurial education (EE) on entrepreneurial behavior (EB) through psychological capital (PC). A cross-section survey data of 1,405 college students in China were used to test the proposed hypothesis based on human capital theory and PC literature. The research found that EE had direct effects on EB and on all four sub-constructs (hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism) of PC, and that only self-efficacy positively correlated with EB and mediated the relationship between EE and EB while the other three components of PC did not. These findings contribute to the understanding of both educational and psychological effects on EB. The study also has practical implications for policymakers, managers, and educators in entrepreneurial education.

Unveiling Entrepreneurial Ecosystems’ Transformation: A GEM Based Portrait

Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EEs) have attracted the attention of academics, practitioners, and policymakers, that attempt to unlock ‘a winning recipe’ considering the different EEs pillars in order to ignite entrepreneurship at large. Therefore, understanding the degree of influence of each pillar on Entrepreneurial Initiative (EI) is helpful in framing more effective policies towards entrepreneurship. This study aims to bring a new facet to entrepreneurship research, specifically on decomposing the transformation of EEs and the influence of EEs pillars on EI. The transformation of EEs is shown by a balanced panel approach based on the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) dataset over 8 years (2010–2017), comprising 18 countries. The study has several implications for entrepreneurship theory and practice as well as public policy since discusses three main issues, mainly supported by empirical results. First, the results show an unbalanced influence of EEs pillars on EI. Second, results also show the ineffectiveness of institutions in encouraging the desire to act entrepreneurially. Third, entrepreneurship needs to be part of the acculturation process evidencing the importance of collective normative. Therefore, providing the instruments and structures is not enough to encourage individuals to start an entrepreneurial journey. Generally, the results reveal that contextual determinants are significant in fostering entrepreneurial propensity to start a business. But the impact of the nine pillars is not equalized, revealing a fragmented influence with funding measures, R&D transfer, and cultural and social norms discouraging entrepreneurial initiative. Overall, the study contributes to the understanding of a multidimensional perspective on EEs and points future policy directions to overcome the lack of entrepreneurship and amend flawed entrepreneurship policies.

Youth entrepreneurial intentions: an integrated model of individual and contextual factors

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify factors instrumental in developing entrepreneurial intentions among youth. Although, numerous studies have been conducted focusing on entrepreneurship intention, however, this study attempts to provide an integrated model by means of analyzing the impact of internal (personal) and external (environmental) factors in developing entrepreneurial intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study is based on primary and secondary data. A sample of 358 respondents belonging to the age group of 21–25 years from various universities and colleges in Kashmir participated in the study. Primary data collection was done using self-administered questionnaires. A purposive sampling approach was used to identify respondents for the current study. Structural equation modeling has been used for testing hypotheses besides other statistical methods and techniques.

Findings

The study identifies three important antecedents of entrepreneurship intentions, namely, personal competencies, contextual factors and entrepreneurial exposure and tests the relationships using path analysis. It further suggests that there exists a significant relationship between personal competencies, entrepreneurial exposure, contextual elements and entrepreneurial intention.

Originality/value

The paper presents an integrated and comprehensive model of entrepreneurial intentions discussing important antecedents instrumental in developing entrepreneurship intentions among youth considering both personal and environmental factors. It is, therefore, an important contribution toward entrepreneurship literature and of interest to different policymakers and institutions related to entrepreneurship.

Intergenerational Entrepreneurship to Foster Sustainable Development: A Methodological Training Proposal

Intergenerational entrepreneurial initiatives are aimed at addressing the needs and opportunities of certain social groups and have the potential of becoming successful business projects. Moreover, they are a key to undertake sustainability practices that may represent a competitive advantage for the companies and an example to imitate when creating businesses. The objective of the study is to propose an intergenerational training methodology so that young people and seniors can create companies together, generating social cohesion and sustainable development in response to generational challenges. Intergenerational entrepreneurship seems to be a novel research area, especially when referring to developing methodologies of collaborative entrepreneurship projects. For this purpose, our literature review focuses on, first, the matching theories and experiences applied for intergenerational cooperation; then, literature about training methodologies for entrepreneurship is reviewed; finally, the main theories on training skills for entrepreneurship are approached. Focus groups were conducted as they serve as the main sources of data and are very appropriate for the generation of new ideas within a social context. In general, results show that, for achieving a successful intergenerational cooperation, some specific training is needed for both generations. This paper is a starting point for future research approaching intergenerational entrepreneurship, or entrepreneurial initiatives with singular characteristics, such as rural contexts or people with disabilities.

The Impact of Entrepreneurship Curriculum with Teaching Models on Sustainable Development of Entrepreneurial Mindset among Higher Education Students in China: The Moderating Role of the Entrepreneurial Climate at the Institution

There has been considerable attention on the role of entrepreneurship education and outcomes from students’ sustainable development, predominantly entrepreneurial intentions. However, research has tended to overlook novel and promising, yet under-examined areas, such as the entrepreneurial mindset (EM), its link with entrepreneurship education, and the contextual factor. Drawing on social cognitive and teaching model theory, we aimed at addressing these gaps by examining the impact of entrepreneurship curriculum (EC) with different teaching models (supply, demand, competence) on EM, as well as the moderating role of the entrepreneurial climate of the higher education institution. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected in 15 higher education institutions in China. A sample of 739 students were used to test our hypotheses. The results suggest that all the entrepreneurial teaching models and mindset are positively related (though the demand model is the strongest predictor). Furthermore, the results establish that the entrepreneurial climate at the institution plays a moderating role between EC and EM, though it is the strongest for the competence teaching model. This paper contributes to the theoretical conceptualization of the EC–EM relationship and the deep understanding on “how” and “when” the teaching models in EC influence EM. Our study also expanded social cognitive theory (SCT) application in the context of higher entrepreneurship education by combining and confirming educational (specific teaching models), cognitive (EM), and institutional factors (entrepreneurial climate). Our research implies that universities and entrepreneurial program developers should pay attention to the selection of the right teaching models and provide a supportive entrepreneurial climate to optimize students’ EM, thus promoting their sustainable development.

How Entrepreneurship Education at Universities Influences Entrepreneurial Intention: Mediating Effect Based on Entrepreneurial Competence

Research shows that entrepreneurial activities significantly promote economic development, which enhances the importance of the innovative entrepreneurial potential of college students. This study analyzes the effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention from the perspective of planned behavior theory. By examining the significant role of entrepreneurship education at colleges and universities on economic and social development, we established a conceptual model. To understand the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention, the hypotheses propose the intermediary role of entrepreneurial ability, and the study provides evidence from China the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention. Improving entrepreneurial intention and encouraging college students to establish businesses through entrepreneurship education in universities is crucial. This study proposes a hypothetical model of the relationship between entrepreneurial competence and entrepreneurial intention in entrepreneurship education at universities. Using a questionnaire survey of college students with practical experience in the Yangtze River Delta of China, the bootstrap method in the SPSS macro program process software verifies the hypotheses. The results show that entrepreneurial teaching, business plan competition, and entrepreneurial practice support positively affect entrepreneurial competence. In addition, entrepreneurial competence plays an intermediary role in the relationship between entrepreneurial teaching, business plan competition, entrepreneurship practice support, and entrepreneurial intention. Entrepreneurship education improves the ability to establish a business in the present and in entrepreneurial activities in the future. Entrepreneurial competence obtained through entrepreneurship education continuously affects entrepreneurial intention.

Does College Education Promote Entrepreneurship Education in China?

The Higher Education Expansion (HEE) policy implemented by the Chinese government in 1999 provides an exceptional opportunity to study the impact of university and college education (graduates) on entrepreneurship in China using an econometric approach. The study applied secondary data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS) to examine the role of entrepreneurship education on Chinese entrepreneurship intentions from 2005 to 2019. The study used fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and ordinary least squares (OLS) to estimate the long-run association between the variables. The study further accounts for endogeneity using two-stage least squares (2SLS). The findings show that graduates (undergraduates, master’s, and postgraduates) positively influence entrepreneurship education. This means that people who have passed through the higher education system are likely to have taken a program or programs in entrepreneurship that motivate them to create new business. The acquisition of knowledge and skills about entrepreneurship seems to rise with graduates. Moreover, entrepreneurship education increases entrepreneurship intentions in China. However, human capital decreases entrepreneurship intentions. The government should leverage further the policy benefits and promote the passion of entrepreneurship education within colleges and universities.

Identifying Entrepreneurial Interest and Skills among University Students

This study presents the profile of the participants in an online course on entrepreneurship that followed a challenge-based learning methodology and was applied to undergraduate students at a university in Mexico. Students were given challenges related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) during the course and were allowed to recognize their interest in solving these problems. This paper seeks to identify the entrepreneurial profile of university students through their experiences, interests, attitudes, and entrepreneurial skills. Although entrepreneurship courses are offered more frequently in universities, it is necessary to know the characteristics of the students’ interest and their abilities to continue strengthening them. The data were collected through a questionnaire conducted with 20 multidisciplinary participants. The analysis compared the results of those who finished the course vs. those who did not to determine the significant differences in their answers. The results showed that the participants generated sustainable business ideas that favor local and global problems. Additionally, the students showed great interest in social entrepreneurship and developing companies based on the knowledge acquired during their university studies. It is recommended to continue with the training so that these ideas can become real ventures through linkages with other actors in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and favor the solution of sustainable problems. The questionnaire instrument enabled identifying the students’ characteristics, interests, and entrepreneurial skills, which could be strengthened with other programs that train them. It was also possible to recognize skills that they did not possess before starting the e-learning course which require further strengthening.

Entrepreneurial Intention before and during COVID-19—A Case Study on Portuguese University Students

The present research aims to compare the entrepreneurial intention of university students before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. For this purpose, some dimensions were analyzed, such as the availability of this target audience to undertake an activity at their own risk, the preference for a future while employed by others, their perception of the values that society places on entrepreneurship, and the entrepreneurial abilities/skillsets. A comparative study of a quantitative nature was used, associating two samples composed of students of higher education in Portugal, the data were obtained before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis of the results permits us to conclude: (1) in the circumstances of macroeconomic changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, entrepreneurial activity does not decrease; (2) respondents are less interested in being employed by others and more attracted to being entrepreneurs; (3) there is a growing concordance with the values that society places on entrepreneurship; and (4) there is now a greater aptitude for entrepreneurial activity. The present research is original, as it compares data obtained in different contexts of economic and social stability. It contributes to theory and practice, in the sense that it points to conclusions in the opposite direction of other studies carried out in situations of disasters of another nature, and can serve as a reference for the development of strategies to promote entrepreneurship, within higher education institutions and official entities to publicize and promote new public policies.

Opening the “Black Box” of University Entrepreneurial Intention in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This research aims to study the determinants of entrepreneurial intention in academia and compare the outcomes from two different moments, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, a quantitative methodology was used, whereby a questionnaire was given to higher education students in these two chronological moments. From the obtained results, it was possible to ascertain that, given the motivational dimension, the attitude towards behavior and perceived behavioral control are having a positive impact on entrepreneurial intentions during the pandemic and that subjective norms have a negative impact on entrepreneurial intentions. This relationship of influences is unchanged, either before or during the pandemic. Regarding the environmental dimension, both of the variables under analysis are having a negative impact on entrepreneurial intention during the pandemic period, which corresponds to an aggravation or loss of positive influences when compared to the context before the pandemic, and the next assessment had a positive impact on entrepreneurial intentions. On the theoretical contributions, the findings are very important, as they strengthen the literature on entrepreneurial intentions, and in specific contexts of social and economic instability. As for practical contributions, this research suggests actions to agents with an important intervention role in the community, one of these agents is Higher Education Institutions, which play a determining role by creating a positive environment to support their students’ entrepreneurial intent. This research is original, as far as we are informed, and it is the first to study entrepreneurial intention in academia during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Portuguese context. Moreover, we suggest that the obtained results should be succeeded by further studies to confirm the evolutionary trends now identified on the subject under analysis.

Exploring Mechanisms in the Entrepreneurial Passion–Entrepreneurial Behavior Relationship: Mediating Role of Growth-Oriented Intentions

This research explores the mechanisms that connect entrepreneurial passion (EP) to entrepreneurial behavior. We investigate the mediating impact of growth-oriented intentions on the relationship between EP and behavior. We conducted a two-wave longitudinal survey study and recruited a sample of 235 undergraduate students from a business school in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Our findings indicate EPs for inventing and for founding are significantly related to entrepreneurial behavior and that growth-oriented intentions partially mediate the relationships between passions for founding and for inventing with behavior. We discuss implications of our findings.

The Impact of Entrepreneurial Passion on the Entrepreneurial Intention; Moderating Impact of Perception of University Support

Passion is fundamental to starting a business because it stimulates motivation, improves intellectual activity, and provides meaning for daily work. This research investigates the role of entrepreneurial passion as a prelude to entrepreneurial intention. The theory of planned behavior was used as an underpinning theory. A conceptual framework was developed and tested to determine their contributions to entrepreneurial intentions. The correlation between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial intentions is moderated by perception of university support to determine if it enhances the entrepreneurial intention to become a successful entrepreneur. The sample (N = 395) was identified using a convenience sampling technique and is comprised of university business students in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. The questionnaire comprised two sections used for data collection, and Smart-PLS was used to analyze the hypotheses. The findings have indicated that there is a strong positive relationship between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial intentions. The analysis showed that the concept of university support alleviates the relationship between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial intention. The moderation effect of perception of university support on the association between entrepreneurial passion and entrepreneurial intention was recognized in this study. Thus, it called for exploring this moderating effect from other perspectives. As an implication to policy, the government bodies should ensure students have access to an entrepreneurial atmosphere. Specifically, the ministry of education and HEC Pakistan could consider this for the design of university syllabuses, thereby leading to more impactful education of entrepreneurship.

Construction and validation of the Basic Scale of Entrepreneurial Competencies for the Secondary Education level. A study conducted in Spain

INTRODUCTION

The impact of entrepreneurship training on the levels of compulsory education has been weak until now. Complementarily to the demand of greater effectiveness in entrepreneurship education, it is a priority to make scientifically verified instruments available to provide useful information about the achievement of the competences needed for the development of entrepreneurial capacities. Our research is focused on the design and assessment of entrepreneurship competency, tackling one the dimension concerning business skills or competences. Specifically, the aim of the study consists in the development, validation and reliability of an instrument, intended for secondary education, created with the purpose of detecting the strictly indispensable entrepreneurial competencies in the basic training of the business profile, the Basic Scale of Entrepreneurial Competencies (BSEC).

METHODS

The research was developed in three phases via qualitative and quantitative methods. In the development phase the items were generated and the dimensions and components of entrepreneurship competency were identified. Also, the content and face validity were carried out, where experts (n = 48) and students (n = 24) took part. In the recruitment phase a multi-stage sampling stratified by conglomerates was performed, obtaining a sample of 1440 students, aged between 11 and 17 years old (M = 14.6, SD = 1.597) and a composition by sex of 679 girls and 761 boys. Construct validity was evaluated in the assessment stage through factor analysis (EFA and CFA). Later, the reliability was studied via the Cronbach´s α coefficient and the stability and reproducibility over time with the test-restest technique. Finally, the convergent and divergent validity were evaluated through the average variance extracted (AVE), the composite reliability (CR) and the square root of the AVE.

RESULTS

44 items were developed in the phase of generating items. After carrying out the validity of the content, there were 14 items with acceptable values in the Content Validity Ratio (CVR.89) and in the Content Validity Index (CVI.92). During the validation of the scale, the results of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a first-order trifactorial structure and a second-order factor. The scale's stability was appropriate, having an ICC = .92. The convergent validity results with Composite Reliability (CR) scores > 0.7 and the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) >. 0.50, along with the square root values of the AVE greater than the correlations between the other constructs show us important evidence of the validity of the Scale. The structure of the BSEC is made up of 13 items and three domains: Operations and Marketing Competencies (OMC), Competencies in Socio-Business and Legal Organization (CSBLO) and Economic-Financial Competencies (EFC).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the research reflect its validity and reliability. This Scale has an evident usefulness for the training and assessment of entrepreneurship competence. Specifically, it is efficient for the valuation of entrepreneurial competencies in adolescent students in the stage prior to their incorporation into the work environment or their integration into the itineraries leading to higher education levels.

Benchmarking entrepreneurial intentions of women in the United Arab Emirates

Purpose

Based on the extensive literature review and the research published in the context of Western countries, this study proposes that the entrepreneurship education, participation in entrepreneurial seminars at the universities and their involvement in the activities of innovation and incubation center of the universities may foster entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) among Emirati female graduating students.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the study’s hypothesized model, survey data are collected from 283 female graduating students of 19 public and private universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The analysis of the data relies upon multiple hierarchical regression and moderation analysis in SPSS.

Findings

The results suggest that all three types of educational activities positively influence the women's EIs in the UAE. However, formal entrepreneurship courses are more effective than the participation in seminars and involvement in the activities of innovation/incubation center. The authors also found that perceived social support does not moderate the impact of education on EIs, which means that entrepreneurship education is equally effective in fostering EIs, no matter female students perceive low or high social support. On the other hand, results demonstrate that the level of gender stereotypes negatively moderates the impact of education on it. This implies that if a female student believes in a high gender stereotype, the impact of education on her EIs will be low and vice versa.

Research limitations/implications

This study specifically focuses on women entrepreneurship and for the UAE only. However, the results can be generalized for female entrepreneurship, specifically for countries where governments are taking initiatives to foster female entrepreneurship. The study provides specific implications for the UAE public policy government.

Practical implications

As the Government of the UAE is keenly interested to boost up the women entrepreneurial behavior, the findings of the study support that in addition to entrepreneurship education, the government should also encourage the universities to arrange entrepreneurship seminars as these seminars also increase the EIs of women. In addition, the government and the universities should also focus on the involvement of women in the incubation centers/innovation park because the incubation centers can provide the practical exposure to the women in the new business start-ups.

Originality/value

This research is among the first, which benchmarks women EIs in the UAE.

Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurship: Assessing the Impact of Agricultural Training Programmes on Performance

Using the case of the Fadama Graduate Unemployed Youth and Women Support (GUYS) programme, this study investigated the impact of agricultural training programmes on youth agripreneurship performance in Nigeria. A total of 977 respondents comprising of 455 participants of the programme and 522 non-participants were sampled across three states in Nigeria. Data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire programmed on Open Data Kit (ODK). Data were analysed using the Endogenous Treatment Effect Regression (ETER) model. The probit model results revealed that participation in the programme was significantly influenced by age, years of formal education, marital status, current residence, employment type, and perception of training. The empirical analysis showed that after controlling for endogeneity, participation in the programme led to better performance which was measure in terms of average income from agripreneurship activities. These findings highlight the significance of training in improving the performance of young agripreneurs and suggest the need to encourage and out-scale programmes such as the Fadama GUYS, both in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa as they can contribute to better performance of youth-owned agribusiness firms.

An Empirical Study for European Countries: Factors Affecting Economic Growth and Self-Employment by Gender

In economic literature, the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth has been widely discussed for some time now. In addition to the different theoretical approaches, a considerable amount of empirical works in recent decades have sought to verify the direct link between both variables by analyzing datasets from several distinct geographic areas. On one hand, it highlights the absence of a common indicator to measure entrepreneurship in practice relating to a country’s economic growth; on the other hand, it shows a great diversity of factors determining them. With the aim of providing new empirical evidence in the field of European entrepreneurship, this paper has analyzed data relating to 31 European countries over the last decade by introducing self-employment as an empirical proxy of entrepreneurship. In particular, this study contrasts the positive effect of public expenditure, investment, human capital, and entrepreneurship on economic growth for a wide range of countries and examines the impact of some economic and educational variables on self-employment, such as unemployment, taxes, education, and early school leaving. The estimation method used in this research had to consider the Ordinary Least Squares through a multiple regression model of constant coefficients based on annual Eurostat statistics for the period of 2010 to 2019. The results obtained verify the positive effect of public expenditure, investment, human capital, and entrepreneurship on economic growth. Moreover, the analysis of other factors affecting entrepreneurship, segregated by gender, shows how unemployment and the level of education have a positive impact on self-employment, while significant increases in the tax rate on capital and early school leaving harmed such variable. No significant differences were found between males and females.

Exploring Factors Surrounding Students' Entrepreneurial Intentions in Medical Informatics: The Theory of Planning Behavior Perspective

The implementation of entrepreneurship and innovation within the health informatics scientific community is comparatively sluggish when compared to other disciplines such as computer science and engineering. The purpose of this paper is to explore the cognitive processes involved in developing intentions to endorse entrepreneurial behaviors via discovering entrepreneurial awareness as a significant influence on an individual’s intentions to identify and adventure market opportunities. In this conceptual paper, insights from Ajzen’s Theory of Planning Behavior (TPB) coupled with self-efficacy beliefs are utilized to develop hypotheses from our research questions. TPB has often been applied to entrepreneurial studies, but for the voluminous body of research devoted to intentions, little has delved into the cognitive processes whereby people develop intentions to entrepreneurial behaviors. Thus, our extended framework can better understand the factors behind entrepreneurial intentions. This research uses a survey tool as a structured questionnaire to explore students’ perceptions of entrepreneurial behavior. The source of the questionnaire is to survey many students from different types of universities in Taiwan. This method allowed respondents to clarify and pose questions. Of the 154 web questionnaires distributed till end of June, 120 were returned, constituting a response rate of 77.9% and Common Method Variance (CMV) had checked. Our results suggest that measuring self-efficacy beliefs in tandem with attitudes toward entrepreneurship provides a better analytical model based on the TPB. The R-Square is 41.2% for full model. Moreover, the results help understand entrepreneurial intentions specifically applied to the medical informatics (MI) field which has been under researched. Finally, this study also can guide educators in their efforts to reinforce entrepreneurial behaviors in entrepreneurship education, for example, awareness creation or attractiveness.